Malibu Wines is amazing for tasting new California varietals and they almost always have live entertainment like stand-ups or music in a variety of genres. Open-aired and nestled in the mountains, it makes for an excellent day outing in the spring.

A huge selection of local brews makes Golden Road Brewery quite a draw for locals, and its especially prized for the seasonal varieties of beer. Open-air seating and decent food all add to its charm as a good hang-out spot.

Barney’s Beanery has a few locations, but the best is in West Hollywood. Go to watch a game, get some chili or play table shuffleboard. The vibe is relaxed and makes you feel like seeing your favorite team win is the only thing on the agenda.

There’s an Asian-American culture clash happening at Good Luck Bar with its Chinese lanterns, comfy leather booths and a fusion menu of cocktails. The decor and lighting can take your mind off whatever’s happening outside those walls so you can sip and savor your next drink.

Brennan’s Pub is not the fanciest bar on the list, but the word ‘dive’ can sometimes be used affectionately. This space offers you a chance to bet on the speed demons in the animal kingdom: turtles. Every Thursday night, you can bring your own or wager on your favorite.

It’s possible that the quality of the food at B.S. Taqueria may be clouding this particular pick, but the cocktails hold their own against the fare. Order the chicarones and anything with tequila and you won’t regret it.

Hollywood is full of tourists, but if you know where to look there are still some truly awesome finds like Sassafras. Check out the live music on most nights of the week and have yourself a Southern good time.

Trendy and hip, Perch has extremely delectable food and quite an elegant rooftop bar. Come for the 360 degree views of downtown LA and stay for comfortable seating set high atop a skyscraper, making it one of the best bars in Los Angeles.

14 Hottest New Bars in Los Angeles

In a city as huge and varied as Los Angeles, there really is every kind of lounge, club, bar and nightspot for imbibing. Whether it’s craft cocktails or dance-fueled party nights, or new beer or whiskey bars you’re after, you can find it. Here’s a look at the latest, from bowling alley bars to patios for bocce and wine. Plan those outfits accordingly, and be ready to call a car or bring a designated driver along for the ride.

This multi-purpose Highland Park bowling alley, bar and eatery is carved out of a historic building, thanks to the team behind other refurbished places (Sassafras in Hollywood, The Idle Hour in Toluca Lake); it’s full of Spanish Revival accents, vintage decor and grand wooden arches. In addition to the eight fully bowling lanes, patrons will find two bars and a dining area serving wood-fired pizzas to “Big Lebowski”-themed cocktails.

Must-order: Drinks celebrate the many lives of this space, and most are inspired by cult classics. For Big Lebowski fans, The Dude Abides, a modern take on the White Russian with housemade coffee liqueur and horchata cream, is a must.

Insider tip: Be prepared to pony up for bowling, which costs $50–70 per hour, per lane, depending on day and time. Lanes accommodate up to six people.

The hip, communal dinner-party vibe of this casual eatery fits Little Tokyo with its dining room decked out in white walls (one is used as a movie screen), black accents and dark woods. Place an order with a server, get a playing card number for the table, and feel free to move about; they’ll find you when the bottled cocktails and finger-friendly foods (like salads, pizzas, meat pies and other mezze-inspired dishes) are ready.

Must-order: Try the gin Sling Sling, made with maraschino liqueur, lime and housemade ginger beer, or a barrel-aged Tour Eiffel, with cognac, Suze Cointreau and absinthe.

The first Southern California outpost for the Central Coast brewery is built for drinking, with big booths made from stainless steel tanks, lots of wooden barrels on the walls and TVs flashing sports. The menu features a mix of beer-friendly dishes – like smoked brisket with grilled asparagus, tempeh banh mi and pork belly tacos – along with wines and the full spectrum of Firestone Walker beers on tap.

Must-order: For a taste of the wild side, try something from the Barrelworks menu, which focuses on sour ales like the Bretta Rose, a Berliner Weisse-style ale fermented with raspberries.

Insider tip: The on-site store has everything a beer-lover needs, from merch to brewing gear and a growler fill station.

This Arts District bar and restaurant features elevated bar snacks, a travel-inspired cocktail menu and subtle nods to the area’s railroad history. With Pullman train-inspired booths, a copper-clad bar and brass light fixtures, and a patio lined with olive trees, there’s room to spread out and order playful dishes like foie gras and waffles, ceviche or beet trifle.

Must-order: Paying homage to classic cocktails from around the world, drinks include the Pharmaceutical Stimulant, which is made with Aylesbury Duck vodka, espresso, and Varnelli Caffè Moka.

Insider tip: If your phone needs juice while you’re getting juiced, look for the USB ports next to coat and purse hooks along the bar. Genius!

“How do you say ‘wow’ in Japanese?” wonder “discriminating” diners smitten by these “luxe” steakhouses with “creative Asian” “overtones”, where beef that “melts in your mouth” “like butter” and the signature hamachi shots (“a must”) are presented alongside “fantastic” wines and “rare” spirits; if you’re not a “software mogul”, you’re looking at a “splurge”, but “everything is top-drawer”, right down to “spectacular service” that waits on you “hand and foot” and brings complimentary “cotton candy upon departure”; P.S. the separate Bull & Barrel bar inside the restaurant features cocktails, Wagyu burgers – and a patio.

Must-order: The Bull & Barrel drink list is almost encyclopedic with lists of spirits and cocktails, plus it includes tips on what to drink and how to drink it. Scroll down to tequila to find things like The Monarch, made with anejo, maple, dandelion and burdock bitters, and orange.

Insider tip: The bar patio, a mostly enclosed space with twinkling lights and fire pits, is where you want to be on balmy Pasadena nights.

This swank Italian destination brings housemade charcuterie and pastas, an excellent wine list and a hidden whiskey bar to the Financial District. Upstairs, a skylight frames Downtown’s skyscrapers in a chic, streamlined room, while downstairs, a dimly lit bar fills with an after-work crowd for drinks; others slip into an enclosed corner lounge for high-end whiskeys from Scotland, Japan, American and elsewhere.

With a spruced up dining room and bar — colorful murals, funky wall art and twinkle lights — the longstanding Los Feliz Mexican restaurant is now home to ceviche, cocktail-friendly snacks and lots of agave spirit cocktails. A collaborative effort between Octavio Olivas (The Ceviche Project), Freddy Vargas (Scarpetta) and Brandyn Tepper (The Cocktail Academy), the short, refined menu is a marked departure from its traditional predecessor.

From the team behind mixology haunts The Varnish and Seven Grand, this Downtown nightclub features outre cocktails under headings like ‘Deep Thoughts’ and ‘No Regrets’; the multiroom space is centered around a retro disco, where dance hits are played while patrons gyrate over multicolored floors (think Saturday Night Fever). PS: Next to the disco, The Deep End features an extraterrestrial design, lots of neon graphics and tiki-inspired cocktails on select nights.

Must-order: On The Deep End menu, check out the Aerolite, a juicy one made with two kinds of tequila, pear au de vie, sherry and pineapple juice.

Insider tip: The Deep End is open on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, but the disco remains open Thursday through Saturday.

Named for one of the earliest gay-rights organizations in the U.S., this bi-level cocktail lounge is swathed in black and dark wood, with a chandelier centerpiece and pops of light and color throughout. The expansive drink menu veers from classics like old fashioneds, Manhattans and daiquiris to modernized frozen drinks and hand-shaken signature creations.

Must-order: The Reconditioner is not one to take lightly. Made with three types of over-proof rum, fresh pineapple juice, Coco Lopez and a float of Amargo-Vallet Bark of Angostura, it’s poured over crushed ice and served in a hollowed-out pineapple.

This intimate arts District cocktail and wine haven, also offering assorted nibbles (think dumplings, fried chicken thighs and burgers), is nestled in a long and narrow space with black banquettes along one wall and comfortable stools around the spirit-forward bar on the other.

Must-order: There are great sippers on the cocktail menu, and a fab spirits list, but the wine list is superb and reasonably priced.

Insider tip: Get a flight of three wines and some magical culinary creation from Matt Molina for $25 every Wednesday (5–8 PM).

A fork’s throw from The Broad museum on Bunker Hill, this rustic-chic modern American restaurant is filled with natural light and accents of steel, wood, copper and ceramics. The raw and refined look mimics chef Timothy Hollingsworth’s menu offerings, which make use of the on-site garden, wood-fired grills and rotisseries.

Must-order: Classic cocktails get a unique twist here, including the old fashioned made with Chairman’s Reserve rum, tobacco, coffee and a fig leaf in the glass.

Insider Tip: The address says Hope Street, but know that the entrance is on Grand Avenue, right next to The Broad museum.

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The 10 Best New Bars in Los Angeles 2015

Raise a glass to 2015. The past year has been kind to cocktail, wine and beer drinkers alike (for the latter, see also 5 Best L.A. Breweries of 2015) — thanks to the debut of excellent bars that are pushing the boundaries of how we drink and socialize in our vast city. We’ve hand-selected 10 destinations where it’s worth opening a tab. Some are exploring the bartender omakase format, some are creating elegant concoctions that wouldn’t be out of place in Paris or London, and some just want to be that divey joint around the corner where you’ll be welcomed with a shot and a beer. Los Angeles, of course, has room of all of them.

10. General Lee’s Cocktail House
It might technically be incorrect to label General’s Lee a new business, considering the space in Old Chinatown it occupies was known as General Lee’s restaurant as far back as 1878. It wasn’t until recently, however, that the former Mountain Bar space was revamped and revived as a tropical/Orient-inspired, two-story cocktail lounge complete with bamboo barstools and palm tree wallpaper. Bar director Chris Day’s current menu is themed around the eight elements of Daoist cosmology, which might seem cerebral but really just means killer drinks like the Mountain, made with mezcal, sherry and pineapple-sesame gomme. —Garrett Snyder 475 Gin Ling Way, Chinatown; (213) 625-7500.

Now Boarding

9. Now Boarding
Now Boarding opened its doors at the end of December last year, touching down in West Hollywood with a ‘60s-era, air-travel aesthetic. The glamorous frills of a bygone era permeate everything from the walls lined with booths (the seats themselves are inspired by an old-school flight cabin) to a large mural depicting flight routes across the globe. Aviation-themed cocktails like the Fog Cutter weave zesty citrus into a rum drink spiked with orgeat, while the D.B. Cooper uses muddled watermelon and jalapeño to combat the vegetal twang of a tequila blanco. The bar’s sheer commitment to its theme makes for an enjoyable, if kitschy, evening out, but bar manager Wil Figueroa’s devotion to craft cocktails is what distinguishes this spot as L.A.’s true mile-high club. —Brad Japhe 7746 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood; (323) 848-8447, nowboardingla.com.

Bar Bandini

Wade Design Co.

8. Bar Bandini
Echo Park is home to many bars, but few have struck a better balance between accessible and fashionable than the recently opened Bar Bandini. Bare and intimate, the interior’s exposed wooden framing lends the feeling of a garage pop-up, albeit one where you’ll find natural wines offered by the glass or on tap (there’s a good chance you’ll find an orange wine or pet-nat on the rotating list) and a solid roster of local beers. We love Bandini in part because it offers such underrated service; it’s a place to chill with a glass of Gamay and hold a conversation at normal volume. —G.S. 2150 Sunset Blvd., Echo Park.

7. BarToni’s
With the addition of bars like the barrel-shaped Idle Hour and the literary-themed Catcher in the Rye, the boom of North Hollywood’s craft cocktail scene was one of the year’s major developments. The most pleasant surprise, though, was bartender Aidan Demarest’s partnership with old-school Italian restaurant Little Toni’s to launch a cozy, 10-stool setup in the restaurant’s neglected bar space. BarToni’s pays tribute to overlooked ’70s cocktails like the Grasshopper and Harvey Wallbanger’s, but they know how to craft a killer Manhattan, too. —G.S. 4745 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; (818) 763-0131.

Southland Beer

Sarah Bennett

6. Southland Beer
Koreatown’s Southland Beer is a little difficult to find given there’s no street signage, and even when you pull into the lot, the door is barely marked and hiding between a beauty salon and a popular Korean blood-sausage restaurant. Once inside, however, your search is rewarded with a drinking space so intimate and dimly lit, it could easily get away with being a cozy neighborhood wine bar. Instead, the focus here is craft beer, with taps that rotate through special releases from Southern California breweries like Three Weavers, Monkish, Bottle Logic and Barley Forge. The expertly curated selection of uncommon IPAs, saisons, ciders and sours at Southland is a refreshing change of pace, especially in a city where stocking major craft beer titles is now all but a requirement of most beer bars. —Sarah Bennett740 S. Western Ave., #112, Koreatown; (213) 908-5104, southlandbeer.com.